Republican Party representative Marjorie Taylor Greene declared on Sunday that House Speaker Mike Johnson had "betrayed" Republican voters after lawmakers approved new aid to Ukraine. She threatens to initiate a vote for his dismissal if he does not resign, citing CNN.
"Mike Johnson’s speakership is over. He needs to do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn’t do so, he will be vacated," Greene said on Fox News.
If Greene and her supporters follow through on their threat to force a vote to remove him from the speaker's position, Johnson will almost certainly have to rely on Democrats for his rescue, the publication writes.
According to the channel, at least three Republicans support Greene's position.
Johnson insists he did not seek help from any Democrats. However, some of them have expressed readiness to save Johnson, especially after he challenged the right flank of the Republicans on foreign aid.
Congressman Ro Khanna said on Sunday that he would vote against the proposal to remove Johnson from the speaker's post. "I disagree with Speaker Johnson on many issues and I’ve been very critical of him, but he did the right thing here and he deserves to keep his job till the end of this term," he said.
Johnson's part in the vote on aid to Ukraine
On April 20, the US House of Representatives approved $61 billion in aid to Ukraine. Johnson's decision on whether to put the relevant bill to a vote was crucial. The speaker hesitated for a long time, conducting various consultations, as he had already been threatened with removal from office.
The New York Times, citing sources, reported that Johnson's decision was influenced by a meeting with senior national security officials who persuaded him of the urgency of providing assistance to Ukraine.